♪ ♪ >> brit: the president calls the boston bombings an act of terror but no one is saying much about who did it or why. this is "special report." ♪ ♪ >> bret: good evening. i'm bret baier. boston is picking up the pieces tonight, caring for the wounded and preparing to bury the dead from monday's terror attack. here are the headlines. three are dead. 176 of the injured were transported to area hospitals. president obama today called it heinous and cowardly and an act of terror. he said the fbi is investigating it as an act of terrorism. and the president said it is still unclear who is

behind the attack. investigators say no person or group has claimed responsibility. we have fox team coverage tonight. chief intelligence correspondent catherine herridge is monitoring the hunt for whoever is responsible from here in washington. at the white house wendell goler tells us what else the president said. we begin in boston with senior correspondent rick leventhal near the bombing sites. hello, rick. >> and, bret, tonight the fbi confirms that it believes both bombs were concealed in black nylon bags or backpacks and would have been heavy. they are asking for anyone who may have seen anyone carrying unusually heavy bags near the finish line to contact authorities. more than 1,000 investigators and police officers have been assigned to this case. but it's still very early. the range of suspects and possible motives is wide open. army northward humvees rumble through the streets of boston protect the most humbling crime seen in the history of this city.

the blast near the finish line of the marathon jarred runners of other their feet. wounding 176 people, killing three. including 8-year-old martin richard whose mother and sister were also gravely hurt. 29-year-old restaurant manager crystal campbell was also killed. she was there with her best friend to take a picture of the friend's boyfriend crossing the finish line. at least 17 of the victims are described as critical. many lost limbs, with most wounds to the lower extremities. doctors are finding dozens of nails and ball bearings in some victims. >> there are a variety of sharp objects that we found in their bodies, probably this bomb had multi-multiple metallic fragments in them. >> there are people who have lost their lives or have lost limbs. so, i'm very fortunate and i wish everybody else the best. >> the fbi's evidence response team is processing the scene with help from the atf and other investigators, collecting

evidence and combing for clues. overnight, the investigation led to the search of an apartment belonging to a college student described as a saudi national, tackled as he was running from the scene with burns to his body. is he cooperating and has been ruled out as a suspect and a man who says is he a roommate spoke on his behalf. [inaudible] authorities are asking anyone with photos or videos neither scene of the blast to forward them to the feds. saying the intention is to examine every single frame and find who is responsible. >> what occurred yesterday in boston was an act of cowardice. make no mistake, an act of cowardice and of this severity cannot be justified or explained. it can only be answered. >> one bit of encouraging news from a trauma surgeon at boston's mass general hospital. he says survivors have been stabilized. he can confident there will be no more loss of life.

bret? >> bret: rick leventhal live in boston. the massive investigation into the bombings has turned up something you may have in your kitchen or your parents or grandparents may have had one. chief intelligence correspondent catherine herridge is here tonight with details. good evening, catherine. >> thank you, bret. a while ago the agent in boston confirming that bomb components were recovered and evidence is being shipped to the lab in quantico, virginia where they will reconstruct the devices to identify where the components are from and possibly where they bought them. this is referred to as the bomb's unique signature. [explosion] >> video footage show what is appears to be large metal fragments as shrapnel tears through the crowd. two sources tell fox news investigators believe the bombs used pressure cookers each metal part of the investigative puzzle. >> we are working very closely with the investigators and handing them whatever evidence we can find. >> a pressure cooker was part of the failed time square bombing in 2010 and subject of an fbi security intelligence bulletin two

months later it is also a tactic associated with al qaeda in yemen and it's online propaganda for potential recruits. >> pressure cookers can be obtained here relatively easily and without usually raising much alarm in people's eyes. i don't think that you can necessarily say that because it was a pressure cooker, therefore, someone from that region is a person that's responsible. >> while the pakistani taliban, the group that trained times square fighter al shah bad quickly denied involvement in the attack. investigators have reached no conclusions about domestic or foreign connection. >> our investigation will not be confined very likely to the city limits of boston. we will go to the ends of the earth to identify the subject or subjects who are responsible for this. >> fox news has told the fbi is scanning cell phone tower records for a, quote, moment of detective ton nation. adding a positive hit could allow investigators to trace a phone number and suspect. an investigative source

expressed frustration that no chatter or signals intelligence pointing to a group or individual were picked up during or immediately after the attack. with a high profile lead washing out after the fbi search in suburban boston and no claim of responsibility. a member of the senate intelligence committee was briefed today. >> we're back to square one with regard to who and why. >> the fbi reinforcing that point telling reporters the case is wide open. adding they need to hear from the public because someone's friend, relative or coworker knows what happened, bret. >> bret: catherine, it's important to point thought that just because these groups in pakistan and yemen often use, this nothing prevents somebody from going on the internet and learning how to do this and doing the same thing. >> well, that's the critical difference in terrorism in the last five years. in effect, no international boundaries anymore. you don't have to travel overseas to pick up the information or the knowledge or 00 expertise to build one of these things right here at home. that is why what we are hearing consistently is it just because it was a

pressure cooker does not mean it's definitive towards a foreign or domestic source. >> catherine. thank you. >> you're welcome. >> bret: now to the president. he gave a very short statement this morning. white house reporter wendell goler reports it was notable for one particular word. >> his second address to the american people on the boston marathon attack was the first in which president obama labeled it terrorism. >> given what we now know about what took place, the fbi is investigating it as an act of terrorism. any time bombs are used to target innocent civilians, it is an act of terror. >> of course, he knew bombs were used when he first spoke about the attack three hours after it occurred and mr. obama didn't mention terrorism then. aides say the president has been briefed regularly by senior homeland security advisors but on this day he said there is plenty we still don't know. >> who carried out this attack or why, whether it was planned and executed by a terrorist organization. foreign or domestic. or was the act of a

malevolent individual. >> david axelrod says mr. obama may have avoided using the word terror monday, because the fact that it was tax day suggest that a homegrown attack. arizona republican senator john mccain feels the president is generally too reluctant to use the word terrorism. >> i always thought it was just utter foolishness not to use the word terrorist when we are talking about attacks that killed innocent civilians. >> by not immediately calling it terror, mr. obama recalled the two week long dispute after the deadly attack on the u.s. consulate in benghazi whether it grew out protest of anti-islam film or planned as terrorist attack from the start. and his reference to terrorism less than a day after the boston attack may suggest a lesson learned like benghazi some of the president's aid referred to the boston attack as terrorism before he did. a senior administration official privately called it an act of terror shortly --er mr. obama smoke on spoke on monday. chuck hagel had no doubts.

>> any event with multiple explosive devices as this appears to be is clearly an act of terror and will be approached as an act of terror. >> meanwhile, house speaker john boehner says calling it terrorism doesn't really explain it? >> we can describe it a lot of different ways, but it was a terrorist attack of some sort. now, again, until we know who or why, i don't think we can further define it. >> president obama will go to boston on thursday to attend an interfaith service for victims of monday's attack. no word yet on whether he will speak at the gathering. bret? >> bret: wendell goler live on the north lawn. thank you. who do you think will eventually be found to have been behind these bombings? let me know on twitter. follow me at bret baier. still ahead, we will go live to a boston hospital to get an update on the injured there. when we return, almost everyone wants more security but what are you willing to give up to get it? [ female announcer ] research suggests cell health

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>> bret: whenever something like boston happens, there are calls for tighter security, additional safeguards. the other side of the coin,

of course, is how much freedom are americans willing to give up in exchange? national correspondent steve centanni examines that question tonight. >> authorities closed pennsylvania avenue in front of the white house. a false alarm over a stray package shuts down new york's laguardia airport. and washington, d.c. ramps up security for its emancipation day parade. >> we will have some enhanced security that probably some will, some will not be visible to the people who come down, but i want people to feel comfortable to take public transportation. >> and, of course, in boston, the men and women of blue are out in full force. >> that presence will be significantly enhanced. we are doing that for the comfort of the public. >> a lot of the talk about making the public feel comfortable. >> i felt a little uneasy in security. i think it would give us a little peace of mind in this horrible time. >> is it comforting? annoying? or troubling to see police wherever you look. >> things have changed in the last 10 years i don't think every parade and public event needs to have

patdowns. >> some see a larger problem. >> i think if if this is the beginning of a trend, then we really are going to start to see discussion about abridgement of our civil liberties. >> it's too soon to say what the boston bombing might mean for america want security. public officials acknowledge there is a derek. >> we know we are vulnerable. it's talked about almost every day. but this is a reminder of just how vulnerable we really are in this era of modern warfare. >> the question is how to react. in israel, security is ironclad. metal detectors at shopping malls, intrusive questions at the airport. should we emulate the israelis? >> this country is a 14-year-old teenager going through what i call security pursuant. i don't expect americans to be where israel is. i think the americans demand the government gets on the israeli page. >> the boston bombing created anxiety. triggered tight security and raised, once again, a long standing dilemma. >> we really have to achieve a balance and

maintain that balance of increasing the security as much as we can without overstepping those bounds. >> europe, israel and the rest of the middle east have more experience with terrorism. and their security environment reflect that reality. but here in the u.s., there is a delicate balancing act between liberty and security. and it's still a work in progress. bret? >> bret: steve centanni live here in d.c. steve, thank you. some of the most compelling accounts to come out of boston are from the eyewitnesses. and the people who tried to help. correspondent douglas kennedy has that part of the story. [explosion] >> the bomb that where to through boilston street took with it lives and dreams. in fact, many people in boston and the nation. especially those who saw the mayhem firsthand. >> it went off, you know, my ears, you know, just from the compression of the

explosive device hit us and shattered the window next to us. and, you know, and i looked back and i see a cloud of smoke. >> it took probably five or ten seconds to realize what had happened because it couldn't happen there. so, it was just too surreal. >> still personal tragedy quickly turned into communal hope as the city almost instantly came together. to comfort the fallen. and aid the afflicted. >> they responded within 15 seconds. you saw everybody coming down here. >> marathon volunteers and boston ems were bringing in wheelchairs to carry them all out. >> we are trying to put pressure on all the wounds for everybody and concern cuts and whatever we could do. it was chaos. >> and then there were those who spent frantic hours looking for loved ones and fearing the worse. >> he was at the 40 k already. so he was here right when the explosion happened and now we can't find him anywhere. >> waiting for my brother. >> do you know where he is?

>> no clue. he was somewhere out on the course further back behind me. so i don't know. >> scary for a city that experienced it firsthand. and for a nation that continues to be reminded. we are never safe from terrorism. back to you, bret. >> bret: douglas, thank you. how the rest of the world is reacting to boston. first capitol hill where there is a lot of other business but where it is not business as unusual. -- usual. for the firsweek... i'm like...yeah, ok... little did i know that one week later i wasn't smoking. [ male announcer ] along with support, chantix (varenicline) is proven to help people quit smoking. it reduces the urge to smoke. some people had changes in behavior, thinking or mood, hostilityagitation, depressed mood and suicidal thoughts or actions while taking or after stopping chantix. if you notice any of these stop taking chantix and call your doctor right away. tell your doctor about any history of depression or other mental health problems, which could get worse while taking chantix.

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>> bret: it did not take long for partisan politics to work its way into the boston bombing story. democratic lawmakers steny hoyer and javier business serra made critical

references to the tragedy. a lot of other items were placed on the back burner today. here is chief congressional correspondent mike emanuel. >> the boston attack had a impact on capitol hill. it was clear early on this was not a day for bickering. >> we are united simply for the victims of this senseless attack. >> today, the thoughts of every measure are with the people of boston. >> relevant committee focused shifting to briefing from counter terrorism and law enforcement officials a news conference with former congresswoman gabriel giffords designed to boost support for gun control was cancelled. the gang of 8 immigration reform plan was scrapped out of respect for boston victims. the gang did release an outline of the plan. on security, it would include up to $7 billion in new fencing, border guards, and drones. and it would demand that the government monitor 100% of the border and capture 90% of those trying to enter illegally. florida republican marco rubio is members of the group.

>> this is not about making a process that's hard on people for the sake of being hard on them. we need to stand the problem here. the problem is it can't be cheaper, easier and faster to come illegally than it is to come legally. >> for the estimated 11 million here illegally, the proposal would create a 13-year path to citizenship which would include paying a $2,000 fine. passing a background check and having a job. early reaction from the white house was positive. >> these are compatible ideas. enhancing border security, allowing for a clear path to citizenship that requires a number of very specific steps. so the president is very pleased with the progress we have seen thus far. >> critics say they would like to slow the process down, fearing this plan will be bad for the country. >> i think fundamentally, the greatest danger of this legislation is it ignores the legitimate interest of american workers who need to be having their wages go up. >> after briefing the president, gang of 8 senators mccain and schumer sounded upbeat. >> we're feeling very good about this. things are moving in a

very, very good way. >> i'm confident that at the end of the day we will have a bill to the president's desk. >> on guns the senate could start voting on key amendments such as the new assault weapons ban and magazine size tomorrow. on the toomey mangs man shin background check measure. vice president biden predicted they are getting close to the 60 votes they need. bret? >> bret: international monetary fund cut projects for growth to from 3.7% to 3.3. hit more than a million in march driven by surge in apartment construction. consumer prices felt .2% as the price of gas went down. wall street had a big' bounce back today as yesterday worse of the year losses. the dow dropped 265 monday. it recupid 158 today. the s&p 500 was up 22. the nasdaq finished ahead 48. american airlines customers

can expect flight delays and cancellations for the rest of the day today. american grounded flights across the country for several hours because of computer problems. the system, we're told, has been restored but much of the damage to the schedule and travelers plans has been done. today's focus at the trial of a philadelphia abortion doctor was on the one adult victim and the 8 alleged murders. the daughter of a south asian refugee testified about the drugs her mother was given as she waited hours for kermit gosnell to arrive for the procedure. the mother was eventually taken to the hospital and died the next day. gosnell has denied any wrongdoing. much of the medias has ignored this story up until last week. we will continue to follow the trial here on "special report." a half a world away, north koreans continue to celebrate the birthday of their first leader. there were no military displace, such as the missile launch that has been threatened. but some american troops did have a very close call near the border.

senior foreign affairs correspondent greg palkot has that story from seoul, south korea where it's already wednesday morning. hello again, greg. >> hey, bret, you are right there. were u.s. casualties near the dmz on tuesday. 21 service members were hurt when their marine helicopter had what the military is calling a hard landing. the chopper then reportedly caught fire. the troops were participating in ongoing exercise with the south korean military. the cause is being investigated the latest that we're hearing right now 8 of those 21 are now hospitalized. they are all in stable condition. meanwhile, yeah, another day of celebration marking the birthday of north korean founder kim ilsun. more threats evidence unspecified counter measures against the united states unless it stops those exercises. also refused talks with the united states based on north korea giving up its nuclear weapons. that is a u.s. requirement. president obama said all

those threats are just part of a pattern. in an interview with nbc, he also said the u.s. is prepared for all contingencies. and that could still include the firing of that musadan missile from north korea. it remains on the ground, security forces here remain on high alert. analysts say there are a few more possible launch dates in the coming days. finally, the young leader kim jong un took in a concert monday night with his aunt and others. while his government also demanded an apology from south korea for a protest monday in seoul. the north called that an insult. by the way leader kim also monday night took in a basketball game. is he fan. bret? >> bret: agreeing palkot live in seoul early wednesday morning. thank you. four people reported dead over clashes in vends disputed election. the hand picked successor to hugo chavez narrowly defeated his opponent who is now demanding a recount there were peaceful protests as well.

supporters banged pots and pans and blocked streets with burning rubbish. when we come back, we will go live to one boston hospital and check in with bill hemmer. ♪ (train horn) vo: wherever our trains go, the economy comes to life. norfolk southern. one line, infinite possibilities. all stations come over to mithis is for real this time. step seven point two one two. rify and lock. command is locked.

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>> bret: monday's boston marathon bombings have made that great city famous for

history and culture known for the time being for something else. my colleague bill hemmer is live tonight in boston with the latest on what we know. hello, bill. >> bret, good evening from massachusetts general hospital, word ago about the third victim who has succumb to her injuries. said to be a boston university student. the that i am has not been released. but a graduate student at the university here in boston pending notification of family. that name has not been released for now. here at the hospital, there is some good news that the surgeons came out to tell us a bit earlier today. there are seven patients still listed in critical condition. a severe blood loss they say but loss of life is not expected for any of them. they are all expected to make it. and what they talked about here, bret, is how they sedated these patients and early in the morning had amputations performed, often of their lower legs just above the knee. and when they came to, when the patients found out they were alive and they had made this through, they were so relieved the

surgeons described them here even after given the news of losing a leg or a limb. four patients had amputations there is a possibility that two more may still overnight. so they are watching them very closely here at the hospital. the other bit of good news goes to the community of boston. and the surgeons described the donation of blood has been tremendous here at the hospital. in fact, they have got so much right now they do not need anymore. but they said they would put a call out to the public, perhaps, in a week because there are many patients who will need a transfusion for weeks, if not months to come. but, quoting now, it is unbelievable how many people just offered to donate their blood here in boston. bret. >> bret: you know, bill, all day about this investigation, we had that last news conference and the fbi, the agent in charge saying really calling for people for anything. they had 2,000 tips he said but saying someone knows who did this. was it your sense from listening to that that they

are really grasping out there for any leads? >> i will tell you, i thought it was surprising early in the morning at 9:30 when they asked for every picture and photograph they could get their hands on. and then they doubled it and tripled down in the briefing earlier today as you mentioned. i thought it was a transparent appeal to the public for any hints, any clues of evidence they can get their hands on. they described people as saying, jog your memories, think about if a neighbor or friend or a family member, if there was an explosion in your neighborhood, perhaps signaling someone getting ready for a possible attack that we saw yesterday afternoon. they said if you remembered seeing someone carry a heavy bag, let us know about that it was an obvious appeal for the public's help and it's clear they need that at the moment, bret. >> bret: okay, bill. we are being told there is a picture floating around of a black nylon bag there on the scene that we may be getting soon. that's really what those authorities are looking for, right?

>> being yes, you are right about that couched it a little bit in the phrasing with the fbi at 5:00 saying they might have been placed in those black duffle bags. that fits all the reporting we have had throughout the day. >> bret: okay, bill, we will check in any breaking news in a bit. thanks so much, buddy. >> okay. >> bret: s bombings around the world other locations and events. russian officials say they will beef up security at sites next year's olympics. in london the marathon scheduled for sunday will go on. senior foreign affairs correspondent amy kellogg is in britain tonight. >> as a result of bombings in boston, much of the rest of the world went on alert. without information on the motive or perpetrators behind monday's attacks, countries such as france tightened up their security, albeit quietly. as the condemnations and condolences came in from around the world. in russia, no stranger to urban terror attacks. words of sympathy and flowers were placed outside

the u.s. embassy. and world leaders expressed outrage and solidarity. >> australia unreservedly condemns these brutal senseless attacks on what is a great event known around the world and one people participating to have some of their family and friends watch on. >> i'm deeply shocked by the explosion at the boston marathon. our deep sympathy is with the american people in this hour of sadness. >> the mayor of london called the bombings cowardly. as this city gears up for a marathon of its own this weekend. the largest sporting charity event in the world which has raised hundreds of millions of dollars. ♪ ♪ >> london is reviewing security for that and for the funeral with military honors for former prime minister margaret thatcher tomorrow. >> queen elizabeth and dignitaries from all over the world will attend the solemn ceremony which has been rehearsed this week.

>> hundreds of thousands are expected to come out and line the route of the marathon. organizers are hoping that those supporters will still come out in force. prince harry is sticking with his plan to hand out medals at the end. what has changed is that a period of silence will be observed for the victims of boston before the race. thank you. fox news has just confirmed that congressional republican has been sent what is believed to be a poisonous substance. we are being told what may be ricin was found in an envelope sent to an office for mississippi senator roger wicker. it was sent to an office but accepted in an off site facility that they have in washington. off site mail facility. it will take, we're told, a few hours to confirm the substance but believe --

now we're being told just now that we can can confirm that it was, in fact, ricin. it has tested positive to be ricin. extremely poisonous. deadly substance sent to senator roger whitcher republican from mississippi. senators have just within this hour been briefed by administration officials. this is just again. this envelope tested positive for the deadly poison ricin. it was intercepted this afternoon at the u.s. capitol's off site mail facility in washington it was sent to roger wicker from mississippi's office. as they are coming. in this testing was at pa libertily sent-out letter was then sent to a lab we are just confirming in fact it was -- it was ricin. talking to me in my ear now

on another breaking development. and that is that we have the new pictures with bill hemmer and this is a picture believed to be something they are looking at as a possible explosive device or at least the suspect explosive device that may have been one of the areas of explosion in the boston bombing. there on the spot shadow that bag, that area right there may have been a trash can. you can see that bag right there. they are looking closely at that apparently we're being told by authorities that is what we are getting from 7 news and authorities on the ground. that's whdh. two breaking stories now. that's the boston development. and, again, the ricin

development is back here in washington, an envelope sent to senator roger wicker's office confirmed positive the poisonous ricin. we'll follow both of these. we'll take a look at the developments in boston. we'll talk about this breaking news with the fox all-stars when they join me after the break. [ male announcer ] you are a business pro.

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i had some lebanese food for lunch. i love the lebanese. i... i'm not sure. enough of the formalities... lets get started shall we? jimmy how happy are folks who save hundreds of dollars switching to geico? happier than dracula volunteering at a blood drive. we have cookies... get happy. get geico. fifteen minutes could save you fifteen percent or more. >> bret: this is fox news alert. breaking news that we just brought to you. fox news confirming that senator roger wicker, a republican from mississippi his office received a letter that has tested positive for the poisonous substance ricin. tested positive for ricin. it was found in an envelope sent to his office of the mississippi republican that it never got to his office because since 2001 all of the mail anthrax attacks on

the office buildings in 2001 all mail goes offsite for testing. in other words, if this was a tainted letter. it was caught in the system that worked. and apparently it tested positive. and then it was sent to a lab. now, we are being told that senators are behind closed doors at this hour being briefed not about boston but about this letter addressed to senator roger wicker. and we are getting more details by the moment. we are going to talk about boston in a minute. but, with this breaking news, i want to bring in our panel. jason reilly editorial board member of the "wall street journal." a.b. stoddard associate editor of the hill and syndicated columnist charles krauthammer. okay, charles, obviously things happen by the minute here first of all, let's talk about ricin, if this turns out to be ricin, you know, tests positive in lab tests. we can't be 100% sure but

that's what we're being told. tell us, you know, about ricin and what we know about it. >> well, it's a very deadly -- substance. i believe it was used in the japanese subway attacks. and it killed about seven people on contact. it's really bad stuff. once you start getting things in the mail we are getting to a second level of complexity. assuming it's connected and it could be. then it's less likely to be a lone wolf. it could be if it's related something much larger. the other part about the mail attacks is they are really hard to decipher, remember, the unabomber was on the loose for years extremely hard to trace it back. the anthrax attacks that we had in 2001 shortly after 9/11 we were never able to really understand who was behind it, where it was made. there were accusations but it remains really unsolved. so this adds a level of

complication. we don't know if it's any connection. >> we can now confirm that the senators were, in fact, told that it tested positive for ricible. the briefing was conducted by the senate sergeant the a arms terry gainer, the fbi director robert muriel and homeland security secretary janet napolitano. they were briefed and told it was ricin. just to give you context about ricin according to the cdc. a potential clue would be a large number of people close to each other rapidly developed fever, cough and excess fluid in their lungs. these symptoms would likely be followed by severe breathing problems and possible death. okay. a.b.? >> well, the fear all day, washington, d.c., new york city, other cities besides boston and transportation locations and senators have been on high alert since yesterday and obviously the

fear is we don't have an answer. we are going to remain in high alert. if there is any other tainted mail going to any other senator and it's not a one off, it's going to be obviously a different story. i mean, everything yesterday was coordinated and many bombs were not detonated that recovered afterwards because of rapid response. situation in several cities with several things going on, something like tainted mail hard to trace because a real ongoing heightened threat unlike we have been in since anthrax following 9/11. >> jason? >> not just here in the u.s. these -- cities around the world are on edge. paris, rome london where they have a marathon coming up in a few days. it's not just effecting us ear in the united states. it has a very post 9/11 feel.

everything happening proximity. is there a connection? we don't know. we are a little uncertain. we will be overexen saghts for a few days. oversanction shut in the weeks and months ahead it has a post 9/11 feel. it will be interesting how it effects our policy debate. another patriot act legislation coming down the line. i wouldn't be entirely surprised at that of course, the libertarians will scream bloody murder, we all know the saying the constitution is not a suicide pact. >> chad pergram our producer up there said senator durbin said the senators were told about this letter testing for ricin. they are moving forward with this risen, how it is treated, there is no antidote for ricin most important factor is avoiding it in the first place. there is a system in place for capitol hill mail going offsite as i mentioned. it's irradiated and all set up in the anthrax letters. i want to save time for the boston bombings but last word here. >> i think the relationship is important and the reason that there is a 9/11 feel

is as i said last night, the attacks in boston were the first successful bombing in the united states since 9/11. 11 and a half years. >> bret: the embassy in benghazi obviously u.s. soil. but inside the united states proper. >> inside the united states. at the homeland. and the scenes that we saw, much smaller scale, of course, but reminded us of 9/11. the people running in the streets of a great city, the smoke and the chaos. and the, you know, and the screams and the injuries. all of that was -- remember, we have intercepted and stopped a lot of the bombing attacks, all of them until now. so it had that -- the feel. i think that's the reason there was that resonance. we this h. all of that with a chemical attack and then it has that whole picture. again we have to have a caveat. is there any connection? nobody knows but it could

be. >> bret: next up, we will give you update on the boston attack and what the president is saying about terrorism. [ male announcer ] dunes, desert, or trail, only rzr delivers. now's the time to buy during the polaris xp sales event. take your pick of our new limited edition rzrs and get financing as low as 2.99%. save even more with rebates up to $500... or totally customize your new rzr

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>> bret: this is a fox news alert. this is 7 news. you see this bag we showed it to you earlier, the picture there, fbi saying pressure cookers were found, believed to be both devices inside bags, attached to wooden boards with shrapnel, b bs, nails, ball bearings inside some sort of bag, either nylon bag or some sort of bag. now, this is a picture of such a bag that was right there at the side. now, take a look at the after picture from 7 news. at the same spot. that's the after picture at the same exact spot.

it looks like it's roughly that exact spot for that one bomb. the fbi is looking at that particular bag. we're back with the panel. this investigation, jason. what's your thought about what they said today and where this is? >> well, everyone is comparing to what the president said today charitable explanation is he didn't want to get out ahead of the fbi. he didn't want to spook the markets and so forth. the less charitable explanation is that he has a certain narrative in mind as do many of the people that he supports. terrorism is on the wane. that he set global relations and so forth in the post bin laden world. the problem is that he wants to take money from the defense department and grave to cradle entitlement programs. so fond of set the stage for that and these pesky terrorist attacks keep

getting in the way whether it's boston or benghazi and that interrupts this narrative. >> bret: about the investigation though a.b., it seems like they were really calling for people to get out there. >> they had someone of interest and he has been cleared and everyone has made it clear from senators to law enforcement today that they're looking for any clue that they can get from the public. and that's not comforting that they have enough leads of their own why hope they do and we are just not hearing about it yet this is a real possibility that this just lingers on and we don't have an answer for a pretty long time. >> if thereson assumption, we will be able to actually find them quickly as we have in the previous attacks. and the first world trade center attack, i think we had the guy who rented the car within a day. if we have no news on this, i think there is going to be a real increase in anxiety in the country, a sense that it's slightly out of control. we don't know who it is, the way there was an appeal

that they made earl today public. worrying, not really advanced after a day. i think people are going to start worrying if nothing happens within a day or two. >> bret: department of homeland security secretary janet napolitano did not believe it this was part of a coordinated plot. if this lingers on, there will be questions about all of this. >> sure. the conspiracy theirists will gain some momentum the longer this goes on. i think people we have been through this before. we have that going in our favor we're not new to this anymore. we have that going on that will factor on people's attitude and views maybe they will be more patient about the authorities finding someone and what happened here that's true it for the panel. take a look at something

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>>. >> bret: we spent about a lot have time talking about all the bad things that happened in the boston. as we leave you tonight, some of the good. that is the our report. >> mayor for 25 years now, i've never seen law enforcement pulling together to solve our crime but how people pull together. business community and neighbors and everyone everyone. boston is a strong city. we're a city to get through this. >> he responded in 15 seconds. the unity at massachusetts general responded in amazing way. some of the trauma group that were out of the city jumped on planes in order to ce back. on